The judge for February 2026 is Melanie Lewert

Melanie has been taking pictures since she received first camera in 1969, a Kodak Brownie Holiday; she became enamored with capturing the world on film. In college she purchased my first 35mm camera—Minolta 370—and found that she had a great eye for black and white. Until she moved onto a digital camera, years later, all of her work was in black and white—enjoying the use of contrast and shadows to tell her story. Since going to digital, she has found a photographic voice that is unique unto her own.She’s won a number of ribbons and has shown her work in several shows. Photography is more than a hobby for her, it’s a passion—it’s the way she can capture and celebrate life.  Melanie is an active member in the Milpitas Camera Club, filling several board positions at any one time.She teaches photographic composition during the summer to beginners and experienced photographers alike. Melanie is currently the Chairman of the Yerba Buena chapter of PSA.

Philosophy:  When I look at a photograph, I wonder why the photographer took the picture and what they wanted to say—what’s the “story” behind the picture? There are a lot of photographs out there, but most don’t make you see or feel what the photographer saw and felt when they took the photo—a good photograph does all that and more.

 

The judge for March 2026 is Stephen Busch

  Stephen has been an avid photographer since age 9 inspired by the photos in National Geographic and Life magazines in parallel with an interest in drawing, painting, ceramics, architecture, and the natural world. He studied photography with John Lodato at Laney College, concentrating on medium and large format monochrome images. He exhibited at the PhotoShow International and shows sponsored by Contra Costa Camera Club. He provided the cover and chapter photos for Hilda G. Berk book, Early Childhood Education, has photographed many weddings and portraits for over thirty-nine years.

 

The judge for May 2026 is Gloria Fraser

Gloria has been shooting photographs since her teens. What got her really serious about photography was the
purchase of a professional photographers camera gear, complete with a Macro lens. Her first photo class was with
Ernie Braun. Next level of learning came from Gloria photographing extensively in Southeastern Colorado but was
disappointed with the results. After the gift of photo course from her husband, her Colorado photos improved
markedly which led to a success in selling her enlargements and cards in Colorado, and bulk purchases of her cards
in San Francisco and Marin. She has done a number of one woman shows in Marin. A member of the Marin Photo
Club for about 10 years, Gloria has been at the Master’s level and won many prizes including Nature , Travel and
Creative pictures of the year and a blue ribbon for best color print at the Marin County Fair. A member of a small
group of photographers, “The Creative Group” Gloria enjoys stretching her creative vision.
PHILOSOPHY: Members submitting photos have put a good deal of time and energy into their submissions. As a
judge, I will share my insight into what is good about the photo and what can be improved. Although it is nice to win
prizes I believe we all want to learn from judging; my intention is to further that process.. Rules of composition are
important to know but also to know when and how to break them for a more unusual and creative photo.

 

The judges for June 2026 are Larry and Susan Cowles

Both Larry and Susan are internationally recognized photographers and have won awards at major photographic galleries worldwide.  Here is a statement from Larry:

I’m Larry.  I have been interested in photography for at least 40 years.  It started out as a serious hobby and was my way to escape.  When I am photographing, I can forget what’s going on in the world and it’s my way to relax.  There is also a certain satisfaction with creating an image that people pat you on the back and say great picture.  This led me to enter competitions around the world and I am an Award Winning photographer.  My work has been shown in exhibits in over 80 countries around the world.  In more recent years, my hobby has developed into a part-time business where I specialize in portraits.  While I enjoy creating a beautiful portrait, I still like to get out and photograph on the pier, rodeos, civil war reenactments and the like.

Susan Cowles has completed a 2 year Professional Photography program in Southern California and has developed expert skills in Photoshop. Her interest in portrait photography has led her to add make-up skills and knowledge of styling to her resume. While much of her photographic activity is making beautiful images for competitions, she has done several community projects. One such project was her recent Pink Scarf series, working with the American Cancer Society, taking images of breast cancer survivors in a pink scarf to bring attention and raise money for Breast Cancer awareness. She has lectured at local camera clubs, PSA conferences and internationally in the United Kingdom and is currently the 2nd Vice Chairman of PSA's Pictorial Print Division and past Chairman of the Color Projected Image Division (CPID). As an International Exhibition competitor, she competes in four different divisions and has ranked in first place in PSA's Who's Who listing for the CPID three of the five years she has competed. A highly qualified judge, she has judged International Exhibitions, PSA Competitions, Camera Councils, and various Camera Clubs. She is currently the Director for the Portrait with Available Light Course offered through PSA.

The judge for July 2026 is Charles Ginsburgh

My name is Charlie Ginsburgh, and unlike many judges and club participants who have been taking images since dirt was first invented, I have only been actively involved in photography since 2011. I am a biochemist by trade, and as such have always been interested in nature, life and what makes living cells tick. One thing I enjoy is creating(design and manufacture) stained glass panels. I have done this off and on for over twenty years or so, and have given away much of my work to friends and family. In 2010 I sought to create a photographic catalog of my efforts, and proceeded to discover the joys and frustrations of photography. Fast forward to the present, and I am currently more involved in photography than in my stained glass endeavors.

When I look at many truly excellent examples of photography, I generally am familiar with how the image wascollected (technical aspects and the such) but am often struck with the thought that “I might not of seen that shot,were I there”. My journeys through photography have taught me the value of “seeing” what is in front of you, andhow difficult it can be to do so. This represents a continuing challenge in my own photography which I find immensely rewarding.

I am up to taking pictures of almost anything (and I do), but I have a special affinity for macrophotography. In that
discipline, I find that I focus (if you pardon the pun) upon “normal” life around me, showing a side of life which is
always there, but is rarely seen. I believe that this is but another manifestation of “seeing”. I can be in group of
master photographers at some truly mind-blowing scenic and/or iconic local, and darn if my eye isn’t caught by the
little weed buried in the dust next to my left foot. Oh well, to each their own. Examples of my photographic efforts can be viewed at my SmugMug site (https://charlie-g.smugmug.com).

When I first view an image I “look” for the emotional content of the image, and how I am affected by the image.
There is nothing more satisfying than when an image (yours or another’s) is first viewed by a group, and hearing an
immediate, collective spontaneous gasp from the audience, a sure sign that some level of emotional connection has
been achieved. I next look for how effectively the image was “seen” by the maker, and only then do I focus upon the
more technical aspects (composition, capture and presentation) employed to capture the maker’s vision of the image.
In the end, with each image I am striving to comprehend the maker’s vision of the image, and how effectively this
vision was captured.

 

The judge for August 2026 is Jan Lightfoot

Bio: My love of photography began in the fourth grade with my Brownie camera during a field trip to a
California Mission. Capturing pictures on film, taking it to the drugstore and two weeks later, picking up

twelve blurry black and white photos with ragged edges was thrilling. Now, retired after 18 years of self-
employment, photography continues to fascinate me and has naturally evolved into my passion. It has

helped to define who I am today. Although never formally trained, I have always been involved with
photography in one form or another. Transitioning from my own darkroom in high school, I joined the
Idaho Statesman newspaper photography staff, and worked in custom color printing labs both in Idaho
and California. Later I became a Certified Photographic Counselor through PMA and manager of
Wentling’s Camera in Walnut Creek, CA while raising my two daughters. In 2012, I had my first solo
gallery showing at Viewpoint Photographic Gallery in Sacramento, CA and have received numerous
awards through competitions and juried shows.
Currently, I am the Organizer for Exploring Photography, an online photography Meetup group with
nearly 900 members. I am also a member of the Sierra Camera Club and the Gold Rush Chapter of PSA. I
have also been a judge for the 2013 Gold Rush International Exhibition in Sacramento and will be
judging Nature at the San Joaquin International in March of 2015. Examples of my photographic
portfolios can be seen at www.janlightfoot.com

Philosophy: My own images tend to reflect a long association with classic and traditional
compositions, having adopted a ‘less is more’ vision. I try to incorporate this philosophy into practically
everything I shoot. Searching for the essence of the subject, or that ephemeral quality that is not always
obvious, is what I strive to capture; and in doing so, to create that connection with the viewer that
touches them emotionally.
Based on this philosophy, I have had occasions to provide critiques and/or mentoring for photographers, which I
usually do one-on-one. My philosophy has always been to provide the maker of an image with honest, positive
feedback. I stress the importance that a critical, yet constructive analysis can be a valuable tool to learn to see
creatively, build a portfolio, or acquire a better understanding of photography. My ultimate goal in judging is to
help other photographers find expression through their own style of photography.